It's A Long Fall From Heaven
by ShadowAngel51
Summary: Clary is the most popular girl at Alicante High School for Girls. Jace is the most popular boy at Idris Academy for Boys. Their schools are merged, and the two are brought together. But what will happen when all of Clary's friends desert her and she suddenly goes from the top of the social food chain to the lowest of the low?
1. Chapter 1

**New York City, New York- May 21**

Every girl at Alicante High School for Girls adored Clary Fray. She was a junior at Alicante, and she was the kindest person that most of the other girls had ever met. One thing that everybody liked about her was that she didn't try to be popular. Everyone just loved her because she was kind. No one found her overtly attractive- she had lots of curly red hair, an abundance of freckles, pale skin, and bright green eyes. She was pretty short, but nobody seemed to notice or care. Her circle of friends was almost as kind as Clary herself, but they were the ones that would be noticed when walking into a room- not Clary. There was Kaelie Whitewillow, the platinum blond with unnaturally blue eyes; Seelie Queen, the fair-skinned redhead who looked similar to Clary; Aline Penhallow, a pretty, Asian girl with long, dark hair; and Helen Blackthorn, who had curly blond hair and slightly pointed ears. On this particular day, the girls at Alicante were just about ready for the school year to be over and for summer to start- it was May 21st, and there was only a week left in school. Clary and her friends were heading towards the school cafeteria when Clary noticed a throng of shrieking students crowding around the bulletin board outside the office. Many girls were jumping up and down like it was the best day of their lives. Clary hurried over and asked one girl what was going on. The girl stepped aside so Clary could read the new notice that had been put up on the board. Clary's eyes widened as she read the notice and she thought, _Well, this is going to be interesting…_ before turning to face her friends. Seelie and Kaelie were hopping up and down, squealing, and grabbing each other's hands, while Aline and Helen just stared, dumbfounded by what they had just read.

* * *

Jace Wayland was Idris Academy for Boys' golden boy. He was golden in the literal sense- he had golden waves of hair, perfect golden skin, and mysterious tawny eyes. He was also golden in that he was the most popular boy in the junior class, he was the captain of the soccer team, and he had gotten straight A's since he had come to the school. The teachers didn't find him quite as amusing as many people did, though- he was always fooling around during class and in the halls. He would make fun of all of the boys that he and his lackeys deemed "uncool," play catch with his friends across the room during class, and ask the teachers ridiculous questions just to waste time, all with his signature smirk across his face. He sauntered through the halls with his cronies like they owned the place. His top lackey was Sebastian Verlac, whose black eyes looked mockingly upon the group's chosen victims and all those beneath him. His white-blond hair was unnaturally light, but it set off his dark eyes. Some of Jace's other followers included dark-haired Alec Lightwood, who was the only one in the group who wasn't constantly around Jace or on the soccer team, and Jordan Kyle, who was an athletic boy and played goalie for the soccer team. Everyone except Alec was on the school soccer team, which won the New York City Boys' Soccer Championships every year. Alec wasn't as bad as the others; he wasn't always with the group, and he was Jace's adoptive brother. When he wasn't hanging out with Jace and the others, he was off somewhere else. (Nobody knew exactly where "somewhere else" was, but they didn't ask.) Now, Jace's favorite target was Simon Lewis. Simon was, with no other way to put it, a nerd. He had dark hair and glasses, and he loved anime, manga, comics, and Star Wars. Simon was reading a shocking new notice on the school's bulletin board when he heard a familiar voice that always filled him with hate and dread.

"You're blocking my vision, Ratface," snarked Jace, who shoved Simon out of the way.

Simon, boiling, watched as Jace read the notice and gave a low whistle. He turned around slowly, a smirk spreading across his features.

"I am pleased to tell you that… Idris Academy for Boys will be merging with Alicante High School for Girls, effective immediately at the beginning of the upcoming school year," he drawled.


	2. Chapter 2

**New York City, New York- May 28**

It was the last day of school, and Clary was very excited. Her senior year of high school was approaching, and she would be spending it at a _co-ed_ school! She could hardly believe it. They had found out that the Idris boys would be moving to the Alicante campus, and the school would be renamed Alicante Academy. Over the summer, some modifications would be made to the school- changing the signs that said "Alicante High School for Girls" to read "Alicante Academy," adding boys' bathrooms, etc. An announcement came on, jolting Clary back to reality.

"All students please report to the auditorium. All students to the auditorium."

Clary joined the tide of girls heading to the auditorium. Once there, she searched for her friends until she finally saw a shock of blonde hair, knowing it was Kaelie's. She hurried toward the front row, where Kaelie, Seelie, Aline, and Helen were sitting.

"Hey guys," said Clary.

"Hey, Clary," greeted Aline and Helen.

Clary took her seat as the school's headmistress came onstage. A hush fell over the auditorium as the headmistress took her spot at the podium.

The headmistress said, "Welcome, ladies. Another year, come and gone, and another class of students ready to begin the next phase of their lives. Let's not make them wait any longer, shall we? First up to graduate we have…"

* * *

 **New York City, New York- August 1**

It was a hot Tuesday afternoon, and Clary was not really looking forward to her return to school. She only had 6 more days left before school began again on August 7.

"Clary, can you get the mail?" called Jocelyn, Clary's mother, from the kitchen.

"Sure, Mom," Clary yelled back.

Sticking her feet into a pair of flip-flops, Clary trudged outside to the mailbox. She opened it, pulled out a stack of mail, and began sifting through it to see if any of the pieces of mail had her name on it. She walked inside, still looking, and toed the door shut. Just as she entered the kitchen, she found an envelope addressed to Clary Fray. She dumped the rest of the mail on the counter next to her mother before settling into one of the bar stools at the kitchen island. She grabbed a sharp knife and slit the envelope open. It read,

YOU ARE INVITED

TO

AN END-OF-SUMMER POOL PARTY!

ALL THOSE ATTENDING ALICANTE

ACADEMY THIS YEAR ARE INVITED

TO ATTEND.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 4th

7 p.m. - unknown

There was an address listed below. It was in the nicest neighbourhood in New York City, so it was likely to be a huge house. In fact, the address appeared to be relatively close to Kaelie's house, which was probably the biggest and fanciest house Clary had ever been to. Clary was intrigued by the invitation, but she didn't want to go to the party. She'd never liked parties that much, which was a little odd considering her status at school. However, her friends tried to get her to go to every party that they possibly could, so she was facing a long, uphill battle. Just as Clary was trying to think of ways to get out of going, Kaelie called.

Jace, Sebastian, Alec, and Jordan sat in the spacious dining room of the Lightwoods' house, where Jace, Alec, and the other Lightwood children lived. They were discussing the huge blowout that Jace was planning to hold there on Friday. Alec had a notepad and a pen, and he was making notes about catering and whatnot.

"When do your parents leave?" asked Jordan.

"They leave on Thursday and get back Sunday morning," said Jace.

"Is Max going with them?" asked Sebastian.

"Yep. We'll have the house all to ourselves for the party," replied Alec.

At that precise moment, Isabelle Lightwood, Alec and Jace's sister, sashayed into the room. She was striking, with long, ink-black hair and pale skin. She looked quite like her brother, Alec, the only difference being their eye colour. Isabelle's eyes were dark brown, while Alec's were blue.

"Party? What's this I hear about a party?" she said.

"There's going to be an end-of-summer pool party this Friday. Here. It's only for Alicante Academy attendees," Jace said.

"Well, then, it's a good thing I'll be going there this year, as you seem to always forget," said Isabelle, hands on her hips.

Maryse and Robert Lightwood, their parents, had decided to bring Isabelle back from the Los Angeles Institute, the boarding school she'd been going to for three years, for her senior year of high school.

"That's right…" said Jace thoughtfully. "Well, it starts at 7 and will go on until we kick everyone out. I guess we'll see you there."

"Fantastic. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have LOTS to do," said Isabelle, suddenly businesslike.

Without another word, she strode from the room.

"But it's only Tuesday!" called a puzzled Sebastian.

Alec laughed softly. "If you know my sister, you'll know that she requires plenty of time to maintain her appearance. Anyways, I should be leaving too. I've got an… appointment to get to."

He stood, grabbed his phone and car keys, and headed out of the room as the other three watched him bemusedly.

"Where is Alec always going?" asked Jordan. "He always has some _appointment_ or other."

Jace said, "Believe me, I wish I knew. What I DO know, however, is that nobody goes to the dentist THAT much."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Yes, I know, My chapters are very short. :( Sorry! Chapter Four will (hopefully... maybe...) be longer...**

 **New York City, New York- August 1**

After a long, over the phone battle with Kaelie, Clary gave up. She was tired and hungry and didn't want to argue any more. How bad could this party possibly be?

"Fiiiiiiineeeee… I'll go to the stupid party," she moaned, hoping she wouldn't regret the decision.

Shrieks of triumph and the sound of Kaelie clapping her hands together were audible from Clary's end of the phone.

"So, I want you to be at my house for 5:30 sharp on Friday. Seelie, Aline, and Helen will be there too, and we can all get ready together. Do you have a good bathing suit? Or do I need to take you shopping? Wait, no, you should wear that one you wore at my house in the Hamptons. I'll see you on Friday! Buh-bye!" Kaelie said excitedly, the words tumbling out of her mouth so quickly Clary could barely understand them.

Sighing, Clary hung up and flopped back onto her bed, massaging her temples.

* * *

Kaelie was insanely excited. You see, she didn't like not being at the very top of the social food chain. Sure, she was _second_ on the social food chain, but not _first_. No, that particular honor was Clary's. What was more, Clary wasn't even using her rank properly! She was such a good samaritan, always being nice to stupid little freshmen. It drove Kaelie insane. Kaelie did NOT like being so _nice_ all of the time. It just wasn't in her nature! She had realised long before that the only way to overtake Clary was to make everyone else hate the girl, since she was popular for her personality. Yuck. Anyways, that was a difficult task to accomplish, what with Clary's annoying niceness. Finally, though, Kaelie had found the _perfect_ way to accomplish her mission. And what better place to do the deed than at a huge party the whole school was invited to? Kaelie grinned in anticipation just _thinking_ about it. All that was left to do was wait.

* * *

 **5:45 p.m., Friday, August 4**

Clary stepped up to the door of Kaelie's huge house, messenger bag on her shoulder. She rang the doorbell and waited. Soon enough, she heard the clattering of footsteps on stairs and the door was thrown open. Kaelie stood there, Seelie, Aline, and Helen right behind her.

"Clary!" Kaelie exclaimed, a big smile on her face. "I was worried you wouldn't show! Come _in_!"

Clary walked inside. The grandeur of the entryway to Kaelie's home still took her breath away, even after three years. The ceilings were about three times Clary's height, and a large crystal chandelier sparkled above Clary's head. The grand staircase ahead led to the second floor of the mansion, where Kaelie's room was located. The five girls headed up the staircase and into Kaelie's room, which was all pink. The walls were a soft, pale pink, while the queen-size bed was adorned with hot-pink sheets and pillows and a magenta comforter. Clary sprawled herself on Kaelie's bed, but the other four girls began to get ready.

"Clary, aren't you going to start getting ready?" Seelie asked.

"Nope," said Clary, popping the "p." "I'm not doing a thing until I eat."

The other girls tittered, and Kaelie sighed, "Really, Clary… You always seem to want food. I have absolutely no idea how you're not fat."

"It's a gift," stated Clary. "Now, where do you keep the potato chips?"

* * *

 **7:30 p.m., Friday, August 4**

The sounds of the party could be heard from a block away. The five friends pulled up in front of the house (which was giant), but there was nowhere to park. Everyone except Kaelie and Seelie jumped out of the car so Kaelie drive around to find a parking space. Clary watched as Kaelie's red convertible sped away.

"Ready?" said Helen.

"As ready as I'll ever be," said Clary.

She linked arms with Aline and Helen, and together, the three girls walked into the house.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Here it is! Chapter 4! I think it's the longest one I've written... idk... anyway, please R &R! Sorry I had to delete it and repost it... I forgot to put in the disclaimer (just pretend it's there for the other 3 chapters).**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters... they all belong to the amazing Cassandra Clare :)**

The house was even more gigantic from the inside. Clary felt that if she were left alone in this house, she'd get lost within its depths. She briefly wondered where all of the partygoers were but then realised that they would probably be outside at the pool- it _was_ a pool party, after all. She and her two friends found their way to the yard, and Clary gaped. The yard was huge- about the size of a football field! The pool was in the middle of the yard. It was rectangular and had jets of water arcing over it. Several people, both girls and boys, were splashing around and laughing in the pool, which had color-changing balls floating around on top of it. There was a bubbling hot tub on one side of the pool, and a couple was making out in it. A bar was situated at one end of the yard, and Clary, Aline, and Helen went to stand next to it so they could wait for Kaelie and Seelie. Clary realised that half of the people at the party would be drunk in a short while, and that, once Kaelie and Seelie arrived, they would be among the endrunkened ones. (One thing Clary hated about this type of parties was that she always seemed to end up holding back Kaelie's and Seelie's hair while they threw up after being intoxicated.) Shaking herself out of these thoughts, Clary admired the rest of the yard. There were trees lining three of the sides of the yard, and there were strands of lights strung between all of the trees. Glittery streamers adorned some of the trees. There were speakers in several locations throughout the yard, and they were currently blasting "Hotline Bling" by Drake. Most of the teenagers who weren't in the pool were either dancing or talking and laughing with their friends, drinks in their hands. Suddenly, Clary felt a buzzing in her pocket. She pulled out her phone to see that Kaelie was calling.

"Hello?" Clary shouted.

"Hey, Clary, we've parked the car. We're in the house now. Where are you and the others?" Kaelie said.

"We're in the yard, right next to the bar!" Clary yelled into her phone.

"I see you! Heading over now!" Kaelie shouted, her voice rising as she went deeper into the yard.

There was a click as Kaelie hung up. Clary stood on her tiptoes and scanned the yard for Kaelie and Seelie. Finally, she saw Kaelie's bright blond hair flashing under the lights. She was pushing her way through the crowd to get to Clary, Helen, and Aline. Seelie was right behind her, her pale skin almost glowing in the darkness. Kaelie was wearing a short, pink skirt and a tight white tank top through which her pink bikini top was visible. Seelie wore a green skirt that went diagonally from her left thigh to just below her right knee. She, too, wore a white tank top. Aline had chosen to wear a midnight-blue, spaghetti-strap dress that hit her midthigh. Helen had worn a simple, short, white skirt and a heathered grey shirt. Clary had worn short, cutoff jean shorts and a black tank top. Kaelie and Seelie had reached them by this point. Kaelie pointed to one corner of the yard, which was full of shoes. Apparently, most of the guests had dumped their shoes there.

"Let's go take off our shoes!" Kaelie shouted.

"Okay!" Clary yelled back.

The five girls headed over to the shoe pile and each of them put their shoes there. Kaelie carefully placed her strappy white sandals where they seemed least likely to be trampled. Seelie put her black ballet flats next to Kaelie's shoes. Aline and Helen were both wearing flip-flops, which they put at the front of the pile. Clary was wearing black Vans, but before she unceremoniously threw them onto the pile, she tied the laces of each shoe to each other so they wouldn't be separated. Once everyone's feet were bare, Kaelie grabbed Clary's wrist and dragged her over to the bar. After Kaelie ordered herself a drink (which was, in fact, alcoholic), Clary asked for a Coke. Kaelie rolled her eyes and took her drink.

She said, "What are we doing first? Swimming or dancing?"

Clary thought for a moment, but then "Sorry" by Justin Bieber came on. Half of the girls at the party screamed, Kaelie included.

"WE'RE GONNA DANCE!" shrieked Kaelie.

Seelie came running over to join them, and she and Kaelie immediately began dancing, their drinks (which were in red Solo cups) sloshing around. Clary awkwardly began doing what she thought passed for dancing- a lot of swaying back and forth with occasional lunges toward the floor as if she'd dropped a contact lens. Kaelie, noticing this, grabbed Clary's hands and started waving them around in the air.

"Relax, Clary!" Kaelie screamed.

Clary took a deep breath and felt the tension in her shoulders release. She mimicked Kaelie's dance moves, and saw Kaelie smile.

"Exactly! That's not so bad, is it?!" Kaelie shouted over the music.

Clary shook her head, grinning.

After the song ended, Clary needed to use the bathroom. The next song came on, and it wasn't on Clary particularly cared for.

She tapped Kaelie on the shoulder and said, "Hey, I'm gonna go find a bathroom. Hold my drink?"

Kaelie nodded and took Clary's Coke. Clary pushed through the people around her and headed towards the house.

* * *

Jace stood in a corner of the yard with Sebastian. They were both holding red Solo cups filled with beer. He was watching the dancers. Justin Bieber's "Sorry" was playing, and almost every girl in attendance was dancing. He sighed. Suddenly he saw a flash of red hair. He looked closer and saw a smiling, red-haired girl having fun and dancing with two other girls. One of them had lighter, more tame red hair, and the other one had long, platinum blond hair. The song ended, and the wild-haired girl tapped her blond friend on the shoulder and said something. The blond one nodded and took the red-haired girl's drink. The red-haired girl then began to push her way through the crowd, heading towards the house.

"Jace, have you heard _anything_ that I've been saying in the past minute?" asked Sebastian.

"Yeah, yeah…" Jace said. "Gotta go… bathroom… hold this."

Jace thrust his cup out to Sebastian, who grabbed it. Jace headed towards the house, not taking his eyes off of the girl.

All of a sudden, something cold and wet splashed on his clothes. Surprised, Jace looked up, just as someone went running past. Jace felt as if everything was moving in slow-motion as he flailed and teetered toward the pool, which was right next to him. He fell backwards. There was a big splash, and he was completely submerged. By the time he came up from underwater and got out of the pool, the red-haired girl was nowhere to be seen. Sighing, he trudged back to where Sebastian stood. Little did Jace know that the mysterious redhead would be making another appearance that night.

 **Another A/N: I hope you liked it! It might be a few days before Chapter 5 is done... it depends...**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Chapter 5! I hope you likey! Please R &R. Also, in case you didn't notice, there was a quote from City of Bones in chapter 4. (That, to be clear, also belongs to Cassandra Clare and not moi.) Anyway, enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: All of the characters belong to Cassandra Clare... if they were mine, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction...**

 **7:45 p.m., Friday, August 4**

After Clary went to the bathroom, Seelie went off to refill her drink. As soon as both Seelie and Clary were out of sight, Kaelie stopped dancing. She pulled a tiny vial filled with clear liquid out of a fold in her skirt. She looked left and right before uncorking the vial and dumping its contents into Clary's Coke. She swirled the drink around a few times to get all of the liquid mixed in. She tucked the now empty vial back into her skirt and resumed dancing as if nothing had happened.

It took Clary a few minutes to find a bathroom in the gargantuan house. She sighed in relief as she finally located one. It was a really nice bathroom- all white and pastel and shiny. She did her business, washed her hands with the lavender scented soap, and headed back out to the yard. Just as she exited the house, she heard the words, "You already know what it is! Silentó! Silentó!" blast through the speakers. She made her way to where Kaelie and Seelie were and grabbed her drink. She took a sip of it. Pausing a moment, she inspected at the inside of her Coke can. Shrugging, she drained the rest of it. When she looked up, Kaelie was smiling. Upon hearing "Watch me whip," through the speakers, Clary immediately threw herself into the dance. She whipped, nae nae-ed, and did all of the other dance moves. She was enjoying herself immensely. She went to the bar with Kaelie to get another drink after the song finished.

"Two tequilas, please," said Kaelie to the bartender.

* * *

 **12:00 p.m., Saturday, August 5**

Clary opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. She was lying on a patch of grass in a big, trash-filled yard. She was momentarily confused, but then remembered the party of the previous night. She realised that she must have passed out in the yard at the party. She remembered everything up to the point when she got another drink with Kaelie, but that was it. She had no idea what had happened in between 7:45 p.m. the previous night and 12:00 p.m. that day. She sat up and immediately had a pounding headache. Had she gotten drunk the previous night? She looked around and saw some other people who appeared to just be waking up as well. She got up, head pounding, and went to find her shoes. Her shirt and shorts had mud on them and were damp. She reached the place where all of the shoes had been and looked through the remaining shoes until she found her black Vans. She shoved them on and walked back to the entrance of the house. She passed a girl who she recognized from her chemistry class last year and waved at her. The girl gave her a strange look before turning her head. _How strange_ , thought Clary. Upon approaching the door, she noticed a pretty girl with long, ink-black hair who was talking to a boy. The boy was- there was no other way to put it- golden. His hair, skin, and eyes were all golden. As Clary drew nearer, both of them looked up. A smirk unfurled across the boy's face. The girl did a double-take and then frowned. They backed up and gave Clary a wide berth as she reached the door, pulled it open, and left the house. Clary pulled her phone out of her shorts pocket. It was a miracle that it was still there. She dialed Kaelie's number and waited.

"Hello?" came Kaelie's voice.

Clary was filled with relief. She replied, "Kaelie, hey, I was ju-"

Kaelie cut her off. "Oh, Clary, no, I'm sorry, don't you remember?"

Confused, Clary said, "Well, no, see that's part of wha-"

"See Clary, we're not friends anymore… After last night, who would _want_ to be friends with you?" Kaelie said. "One more thing before I leave- don't be expecting to be with me and the rest of the populars this school year… after last night, you belong to the social wastelands."

Clary heard the _click_ that meant Kaelie had hung up. She stared at her phone, numb with shock over what Kaelie had said. _What does she mean, after last night? What did I do? Oh, God…_ thought Clary. She quickly called Helen. As soon as Helen picked up, Clary began talking.

"Helen, I've heard that apparently I did some socially unacceptable things last night. Please, just tell me what I did. I don't remember whatever it was. I'm not asking you to take me back or whatever… I just have to know what it was that I did."

"Ok, Clary…" Helen replied, her voice filled with sadness.

* * *

 **6:30 p.m., Saturday, August 5**

The rest of the day had passed in a blur. Clary, upon hearing what Helen said, was full of disbelief. Helen had assured her that it was all true. Clary had walked all the way from the scene of the party to her own house, letting the truth sink in. She was now a social outcast; alone and friendless. _I knew I shouldn't have gone to that party!_ thought Clary, mentally punching herself in the face. When Clary got home, her mother had immediately started the "where were you-I was so worried-are you okay" speech, but Clary had just gone up to her room and laid, facedown, on her bed. She had been in the same spot since then. She was beginning to feel better, though. She got up from her bed and took a moment to observe her room. The walls were done with a mural of trees and flowers that Clary had done herself. Her bedspread was green, as were her pillows. She had a dresser and a desk against one wall of the room. The other wall had an easel and a table with all of Clary's art supplies. Clary suddenly felt sad. She grabbed her sketchpad and held it as she cried. She had no idea what she would do this year at school without friends. What was more, it seemed as though the entire school (or at least most of it) knew what she'd done at the party. If she was going to be a social outcast, she would be avoided like wildfire. She sniffled and took deep breaths, trying to regain her senses. She would be strong; she'd have to. She opened her sketchpad and began to sketch her feelings, to let it all out.

 **A/N: Sorry, folks! You don't get to know what Clary did just yet! I'll get started on Chapter 6 later tonight... or tomorrow... or Monday...**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: That took less time than I anticipated! Thanks to my followers and reviewers (even though there aren't too many of you)... this is kind of cheesy but y'all really do help motivate me to write more. :)** ** _Note: In the French class scene, the italicized parts are the translations of the French stuff. If you can read the French parts without the English translations, bravo._** **Anyway, please enjoy! (I made this one longer... XD)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, blah blah blah... also there are (I think) two parts in the chapter that were based off of/taken from The Mortal Instruments books (I think they were both from City of Bones but I don't remember)... those are not mine, they belong to Cassie Clare.**

 **New York City, New York- Monday, August 7**

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Clary opened her eyes and groaned. Her arm flailed around before finding the "off" button on her alarm clock. She hit it, and the beeping stopped. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. It was the first day of school, and the first day of her life as a social outcast. She sighed and flung back her covers. She opened her closet door and grabbed her dark blue skinny jeans and her Harry Potter t-shirt (what could she say? She was a die-hard fan of the Wizarding world). She quickly changed out of her pajamas and into her other clothes. She pulled on some socks and left her room. She trudged down the stairs and into the kitchen. Her mother and Luke were there. Luke was her mom's friend, and he had been present in Clary's life for as long as she could remember. She used to call him Uncle Luke, but he had ended that habit a few years ago, saying it made him feel old. He and Jocelyn had made pancakes, eggs, and bacon. Clary grabbed a plate and put three pancakes, some scrambled eggs, and two pieces of bacon on it.

As Clary sat down, Luke said, "Sooo… are you excited for you first day of school?"

"You're a senior already! It feels like you've grown up so fast," Jocelyn said.

"Could you pass the coffee pot?" asked Clary, ignoring Luke's question.

Jocelyn and Luke exchanged looks and continued to sip their coffee. Clary ate her food at top speed and went upstairs. She brushed her hair and teeth and grabbed her sketchbook. She had relied on the sketchbook during the past few days as a creative channel for her feelings. She grabbed her messenger bag and crammed the sketchbook into it. She went down the stairs and back into the kitchen. She grabbed a lidded coffee cup and poured the rest of her coffee into it. Clary then headed into the front entryway. Her black Vans were there, slightly muddied from the party. She shoved her feet into them and grabbed her car keys. Her car wasn't a great car, but it was the best she could afford on the salary she earned from waiting tables at a local diner. She unlocked her car and hopped into the driver's seat. Last year, Clary had picked up Aline and Helen (who lived nearby) and brought them to school, but the other two girls weren't speaking to her. She put her coffee cup in the cupholder next to her, sighed, and put the keys into the ignition.

* * *

Jace had woken up at 4:30 and hadn't been able to go back to sleep. He'd tossed and turned until finally, around 5:30, he'd gotten up and gone into the Lightwoods' massive kitchen. He made some coffee and poured it into a mug. Sipping the coffee slowly, he went into the living room and sat on the couch. He stared out of the living room window into the backyard. He and his friends had done a great job cleaning the yard up after the party. There had been Solo cups and beer cans everywhere, and a lot of the grass had been ripped up or drowned in mud and pool water. They had had to call a local plant nursery and have more grass laid down. Isabelle had helped them replant some of the flowers that had been trampled. It had taken them all of Saturday, but eventually they got the house looking just as it had before the party. Maryse, Robert, and Max had gotten home and (still) had no idea that anything had happened. Lost in thought, Jace didn't notice when Magnus Bane, an eccentric (and very sparkly) boy who'd been in Jace's English class, came tiptoeing down the stairs and snuck out the front door. Shortly afterwards, Alec came downstairs. Seeing Jace, he started. Shaking his head, he went into the kitchen and returned with a mug of coffee. He sat next to Jace, who was catapulted out of his thoughts.

"What are you doing up so early?" said Alec.

Jace replied, "I could ask you the same thing."

"I… was hungry…" said Alec.

Jace eyed his adoptive brother suspiciously before saying, "I couldn't sleep."

Alec nodded rather sheepishly. Isabelle came into the room then, yawning as she pulled her hair up into a knot on the top of her head.

"Good morning, fair brothers," she said jokingly.

Alec turned his head to look at her, and Jace noticed a reddish mark on Alec's neck. He looked closer and saw that it was a… bite mark?

"What happened to your neck?" asked Jace.

Alec stiffened and turned beet red. "Uh… nothing… I mean… it was nothing… I fell..." he stuttered.

"On your neck?" asked Isabelle, who was giggling.

Alec glared at Jace, who was smirking, and Isabelle.

"Okay, okay, we'll stop interrogating you… for now," said Jace evilly.

Alec buried his head in his hands and mumbled something that sounded like, "Why did I have to get stuck with nosy siblings?"

Isabelle snorted. "Well, I've got to go get ready for school. I've got loads to do- outfits to plan, impressions to make, popularity to gain."

She flounced out of the room, and her footsteps could be heard as she went upstairs.

Alec mumbled something and hurried out of the room as well.

Jace leaned back into the couch cushions and took a sip of his coffee, his thoughts returning to the strange red-haired girl from the party.

* * *

 **8:05 a.m., Monday, August 7**

Clary pulled open the door to the auditorium at Alicante Academy. The cavernous room was filled with the sounds of people talking and laughing. Many of the girls were acquainting themselves with the boys or offering to guide them around the campus, which was unfamiliar to many of the boys. Clary saw Kaelie, Seelie, Aline, and Helen sitting in their usual front-row seats, surrounded by a horde of freshmen who were all trying to get in Kaelie's good graces. Clary started to head towards them but remembered what Kaelie had said the morning after the party. The words flashed across her mind- ... _don't be expecting to be with me and the rest of the populars this school year… after last night, you belong to the social wastelands_. Tears sprung up in Clary's eyes, and she hurried to a seat at the back of the auditorium. As she was setting her messenger bag down, three more people entered the auditorium. They were the golden boy and the pretty girl whom Clary had seen talking after the party, along with a boy (who looked rather like the pretty girl) whom Clary had never seen before. They headed for the opposite side of the auditorium. The golden boy turned his head to look at Clary. It was almost as if he'd sensed her watching him. He smirked and waved at her sarcastically. As he and his friends sat down, a hush fell over the crowd of students. Headmistress Gladstone had come onstage.

She said, "Welcome to another year of learning and experience…"

Clary drowned the rest out- it was too boring. Instead, she thought about the golden boy.

* * *

 **8:20 a.m., Monday, August 7 (First Period)**

Clary looked at her schedule- her first class was English IV with Mrs. Bradshaw in Room 312. Her locker was number 4259. Dammit, thought Clary. She wanted to go to her locker, but she had to be in class for 8:30 and her locker was on the opposite side of the building from her English class. Looked like she was going to be stuck lugging all her stuff around until after first period. She sighed and hefted her messenger bag further up onto her shoulder. This morning was just not going very well.

 **12:30 p.m., Monday, August 7 (Lunch)**

After English, Clary had had Earth Science with Ms. Lewis, AP Government with Mr. Rosenberg, and AP Calculus with Mr. Jacob. She was already bored of school and was utterly thankful when the lunch bell rang. On the bright side, she'd had time to visit her locker between first and second period, so she wasn't carrying all of her books with her at the moment. All she had now was her sketchbook, a pencil, and her lunch money. She went to the cafeteria and hurried to get in the lunch line. It seemed like half of the school was buying their lunch, so Clary ended up at the back of the long line. She inched forward in line until finally she reached the counter. She got a hamburger, an apple, and a bottle of water. She paid for the lunch and surveyed the lunchroom for a place to sit. Seeing no good options, she went outside to the courtyard. She spotted an unoccupied stone bench and was hurrying towards it when she bumped into something. She managed to keep her lunch intact and was just breathing a sigh of relief when the thing she'd run to spoke. Its voice was familiar, yet had a new, snotty undertone to it.

"Watch it, loser," said Kaelie.

Clary squeezed her eyes shut for a moment and reopened them to see Kaelie, Seelie, and their newest cronies glaring at her like she was something undesirable they'd found on the bottom of one of their Prada heels.

"Hey, Kaelie," said Clary warily.

"Oh, look, it talks!" said Kaelie. "Keep out of my way or you just might wake up one morning with your eyebrows gone."

Clary was surprised. Kaelie had never been like this when they were friends. Sure, she hadn't been quite as nice as Clary, but _nobody_ was as nice as Clary. Clary, wishing to avoid further talk, just walked away. She heard Kaelie and her cronies snickering as she walked away. She sank onto a stone bench and ate her lunch. After she ate, she didn't feel much like staying outside with Kaelie lurking around, so she went up to the library. She opened her sketchpad and began to draw.

 **1:25 p.m., Monday, August 7 (End of Lunchtime/5th period)**

There were five minutes left of lunchtime, so Clary decided to leave the library (which was on the third floor) and head to her fifth period class, which was French V. She'd been in advanced language classes since the eighth grade. She went into the French classroom and was surprised to see that she recognized one of the two people who were already in the room. It was the girl whom Clary kept seeing with the golden boy.

The teacher, Madame Porterie, said, "Ah, bonjour, mademoiselle! Comment vous-appelez-vous?"

 _What is your name?_ Clary translated mentally. "Je m'appelle Clarissa Fray. Bonjour!"

The teacher smiled and nodded, marking down something in her attendance book.

"Ta chaise est cette chaise-là, par la fenêtre," said Madame Porterie, pointing to a seat.

Clary nodded and took her seat in the second row beside the window, as Madame Porterie had told her to.

The raven-haired girl and her friend giggled a bit upon seeing Clary, who just sighed.

She waited for the rest of the class to filter in. One by one, they came in, and the teacher asked each of them the same thing she'd asked Clary and told each of them where to sit.

At 1:30, all of the seats had been filled except for one directly in front of Clary. The teacher frowned at the spot. She began taking roll again to figure out who was missing.

When Clary's name was called, she said, "Présente."

Clary also found out that the girl she kept seeing was named Isabelle Lightwood. The teacher was in the middle of calling roll when the door burst open. It was the golden boy. He slouched in and the teacher looked at him.

"Pourquoi est-ce que tu es en retard?" she asked, one eyebrow raised. (Clary was instantly jealous- she'd never been able to raise just one eyebrow before.) "Cette classe a commencé il y a cinq minutes."

 _Why are you late? This class started five minutes ago._

The boy responded with ease. "Je suis trés désolé. Il ne se reproduira pas."

 _I'm very sorry. It won't happen again._

The teacher looked at him suspiciously before asking his name.

"Je m'appelle Jace. Jace Wayland," he said with a touch of arrogance.

 _My name is Jace. Jace Wayland._

The teacher clicked her tongue and gestured towards the empty seat in front of Clary. Jace sat down there and immediately slouched down.

Clary just watched the back of his golden head, intrigued.

 **2:30 p.m., Monday, August 7 (6th period)**

Clary walked into her art class feeling confused. People had laughed at her back all the way from French to this class. She thought it was because of what happened at the party, but that didn't seem like a reason for them to laugh. She dismissed her fears and sat down next to a boy with dark brown hair who was wearing an anime t-shirt. Clary recognized it to be from one of her favorite animes.

"I like your shirt. I'm a big fan of Naruto!" she said.

The boy seemed surprised but thanked her.

Someone behind Clary laughed, and she spun around. "What? What is it that is _so_ funny? Will someone just tell me?"

The boy beside her coughed and pulled something off of Clary's back. It was a piece of paper that had been taped there, and Clary was willing to bet who'd put it there. She read what the paper said and thought, _that bitch_ as tears welled up in her eyes. The paper read, "Caution: This vehicle makes wide right turns." Clary went red in the face and hurried out of the room before she could cry. She sank to the floor and buried her head in her hands. She heard someone approaching, and was surprised when the person sat down next to her. She raised her head a bit and saw the boy from class.

"I'm Simon… Simon Lewis. It wasn't very nice, what that sign said… You're not fat- you know that, right?"

Clary smiled weakly and said, "I know. Thanks for coming out here." She wiped her eyes before continuing. "I'm Clary Fray. It's nice to meet you."

Simon said, "You too."

Clary paused before blurting out, "There's… something I need to say. Something I need to talk about. That is, if you don't already know about it… seemed like the whole school was at that damned party." The last bit was partially under her breath, as if she hadn't really meant for Simon to hear it.

He was intrigued. "I never went to any party. What happened?"

Clary took a deep breath and told him what she'd done at the party.

 **A/N: Hee, hee! You still don't know what Clary did! Next chapter, I promise... But it might be a bit before I update again cuz I have school and homework and exercise classes and stuff. Bye for now!**

 **-ShadowAngel51**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Okay, guys, the big (and probably anticlimactic) reveal... what did Clary do? I hope you won't be** ** _too_** **disappointed... but, it gets the job done... sorry this is so short- chapter 8 will hopefully be longer and have more drama.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, they all belong to Cassandra Clare, etc...**

 **2:35 p.m., Monday, August 7 (6th period)**

Simon personally didn't see what all of the fuss was about. Apparently, Kaelie (the most popular girl in school and Clary's ex-best friend) had walked in on Clary and Kaelie's boyfriend making out. Kaelie had been in hysterics and had broken up with her boyfriend and had essentially disowned Clary. Then, Clary had gone stumbling (she'd been drunk or something) after Kaelie, who, once they'd reached the yard where the party was, had slapped Clary and called her a whore in front of everyone who had attended the party. Then, Clary had thrown up on Kaelie's feet. Now, basically the entire school thought that Clary was a bitch and a whore; they also were kind of grossed out by Clary throwing up on Kaelie. Clary didn't remember any of what happened. Her friend Helen had told her the day after the party. Simon really didn't think it was that big of a deal, and at first he had no idea why Kaelie and the others were so worked up, but then it hit him. If Kaelie had lost her boyfriend because of Clary in this whole mess, she would be pissed at Clary. Kaelie was the most popular girl in school (and she was very attractive), so most of the girls wanted to be like her (or just get her to like them) and most of the guys wanted to date her. Therefore, if Kaelie hated someone, nearly everyone _else_ would hate that person as well. Even the people who didn't want to be clones of Kaelie were likely to avoid Clary just so they could avoid Kaelie's wrath. (Kaelie had already proven herself to be an unforgiving and rather cruel leader, even if it was only the first day of school.) Anyway, Simon wanted to know more about this whole thing, and he really wanted to ask Kaelie's ex-boyfriend about what had happened, but the boy was attending boarding school in Montana or someplace (according to Clary). Apparently the boy's name was Sam, and he and Kaelie had been dating since 9th grade. Clary kept beating herself up about it, saying she couldn't believe she'd ruined her friend's relationship like that, Kaelie and Sam had been so happy together, blah blah blah. Simon couldn't take it any more.

"Clary, you have to stop being so hard on yourself. You were drunk- you didn't mean to do any of it," said Simon.

"But I shouldn't have let myself get drunk!" wailed Clary. "I never drink! I don't know _what_ I was thinking!"

This struck Simon as odd- how would Clary have gotten drunk if she hadn't wanted to drink? He dismissed the thought, though.

"We should probably go back to class now. But look- it seems like you're at a loss for… well… friends at the moment, so you should come sit with me at lunch," said Simon.

Clary beamed. "Thank you, Simon! And thank you for not leaving after I told you what I did."

Simon rolled his eyes and stood up, brushing his pants off. "Clary, you really need to calm down. It's not as big of a deal as everyone's making it out to be… or, at least, it isn't to me." He offered Clary a hand. "Now, we are going back into that classroom and you are going to hold your head up high."

Clary smiled as she took his hand and they walked back to class.

* * *

Jace's 6th period study hall class was bo-ring. He'd already done all of his homework, and he didn't have a book or anything to do. He'd been staring out the window set into the wooden door to the classroom when he noticed Clary come out of a classroom across the hall. She appeared to be crying. He watched as someone came out of the room Clary had come from. When this newcomer sat down beside Clary, Jace realised that it was _Simon_. His favorite target. Jace's upper lip curled as he watched the two converse for a bit. Clary eventually stopped crying and even cracked a few smiles. After Clary and Simon chitchatted for a minute, Simon stood up and helped Clary up. They walked back to class. Jace felt… strange. He would have described the feeling in his gut as jealousy, but that made no sense! Why would he, Jace Wayland, the most popular guy at Alicante Academy (and the most attractive) be jealous of a nerd with bad posture and glasses? And, what was more, he didn't even _like_ Clary. Now, he had seen the whole debacle at the party, but (although he wasn't inclined to admit it) he'd found it kind of funny. However, Kaelie was the queen of the junior class, and what she thought, everyone thought. So, if she was intent on hating and shaming Clary, then the majority of the school would be too. Jace supposed he'd just have to go along with it, which wouldn't be difficult. His instinct was to mock others, make witty jokes, and be sarcastic, so doing just that to one little redhead girl wouldn't be a problem… right?

* * *

 **3:30 p.m., Monday, August 7**

Clary walked out of school with Simon, feeling better now that she'd found someone who didn't hate her. They chatted about manga, school, and other stuff as they headed towards the parking lot. Simon was funny; he made Clary laugh a lot. Clary could already tell that she and Simon would be good friends. They arrived at Clary's small, silver Chevrolet.

"Do you need a ride?" she asked Simon.

"No, it's fine, my mom is coming," he said somewhat sheepishly.

"Are you sure? Where do you live?" Clary demanded.

Simon told her, and she realized that he lived only a few blocks from her own house.

"That's, like, two blocks from my house!" exclaimed Clary. "I can pick you up tomorrow morning and take you to school if you like."

Simon nodded feverishly; he really liked the idea. "Yeah, sure!"

"I'll be there at 7:40. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine."

Clary opened the passenger door of her car and threw her messenger bag in. She then walked around to the other side of the car and hopped into the driver's seat. She put the keys in the ignition and waved at Simon as she backed out of her parking spot. She drove a few blocks and turned onto Flatbush Avenue, feeling like the day might not have been a waste after all.

 **A/N: Thoughts? Comments? Criticisms? Just want to say hi? Leave a review (or don't... that's okay too... sniffle sniffle...)! Thanks for reading! :)**

 **-ShadowAngel51**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Okay, so, some people have expressed confusion about how Kaelie got Clary to make out with her boyfriend. You will find out eventually, but not yet... I put a part in this chapter that is from Kaelie's point of view. Next time there is something from her POV, you'll probably find out how she engineered the scandal.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters :3**

 **4:15 p.m., Monday, August 7**

Clary pulled into a parking space in front of her house, glad to be home. It had been a long day at school, and she really wanted a nap. Sure, she had _some_ homework, but she didn't need to do all of it that day. Her school worked on an A/B schedule: they would have most of their classes every day, but some classes took place every other day. For example, today was an A day. Clary had had English, science, social studies, math, French, and art. Tomorrow would be a B day, and she would have English, science, social studies, and math again, but she would _not_ be having French or art; instead, she would have study hall and drama. Her science teacher was one of those teachers who liked to do a "get to know the students" activity at the beginning of each school year, so the teacher had assigned them a paragraph about themselves- their hobbies, family, likes/dislikes, etc. Her French teacher had assigned them basically the same thing except it had to be written in French. Clary brightened at the thought that she didn't have to do it until tomorrow night- although she would probably start it tonight. Clary opened the car door and hefted her messenger bag onto her shoulder. She grabbed her (now empty) coffee cup and slammed the car door. She locked the car with her automatic car-locker-clicker thing as she headed up to the front door. She fumbled with her keys for a moment before finding the right one and using it to unlock the front door.

"I'm home!" she called. There was no response. "Hello?" she called.

She hung her keys on the key rack next to the door and kicked her shoes off. Heading into the living room, Clary dumped her messenger bag on the couch. She went into the kitchen and saw that there was a yellow Post-It note on the counter. She picked it up and read it.

It said, _Hey, Clare-bear! I'm at the bookstore with Luke; he needed a hand with some book shipments. I should be home around 5. Call me if you need anything! -Mom_

Clary smiled and folded the Post-It. She dropped it into the recycling bin as she made her way to the stairs. She yawned as she ascended them, rubbing her eyes. She opened the door to her room and flopped on the bed. She was asleep before her head even hit the pillow.

* * *

 **4:00 p.m., Monday, August 7**

Jace headed for the school parking lot, where he was supposed to meet Alec and Isabelle 15 minutes previously. Predictably, they were already there and didn't look too happy when he finally strode into the lot.

"What took you so long?" Isabelle demanded. Under her breath, she added, "You had better not complain about _me_ taking too long to get ready anymore."

Jace laughed a bit and said, "Sorry. I had to… get the French homework. It's on the other side of the building, so it took me a little while."

Isabelle didn't mention the (obvious) fact that Jace could have asked her what the homework was, seeing as they both had French together. She looked slightly suspicious, but Alec seemed gratified by this explanation. Alec didn't take French- he was a die-hard German student.

Alec unlocked the car, and Isabelle declared, "I call shotgun!"

Jace sighed and threw his stuff in the trunk as Alec snickered. Jace hopped in the backseat of the car, feeling like a twelve-year-old again. _Maybe I should take my own car to school… Then I wouldn't be forced to ride in the backseat._ After all, Jace _did_ have his own car. But, carpooling with his adoptive siblings saved gas or whatever, so he had to go along with it.

All of a sudden, Isabelle squealed.

Alec nearly slammed on the brakes before saying, "What? What is it?"

Isabelle squealed again and turned up the radio. "It's my absolute FAVORITE song!"

Jace snickered, and Alec rolled his eyes. The song "Roses" by the Chainsmokers had come on, and Isabelle was lip syncing and dancing in her seat to the song. Alec looked slightly embarrassed to be seen next to Isabelle, who was wildly dancing. Jace only drummed his fingers on the car door, suddenly grateful for tinted windows.

Twenty minutes later, they had arrived back at the house. Isabelle had been upset when no other good music came on the radio, so she had connected her iPhone to the car's Bluetooth system and played her own music. Alec and Jace had been treated to her (not very good) singing the rest of the way back to the house, so the two boys were immensely grateful to be back. Isabelle immediately went upstairs to her room and connected her phone to the speakers there. The music could be heard anywhere on the second floor and third floor of the house, so Jace decided not to go up to his room just yet. He strode into the lavish kitchen and dumped his backpack next to the counter. He then went out into the yard and made a beeline for the shed in the back corner of the yard. Opening it, Jace saw what he was looking for- the soccer goal and ball he used for practice. Even though soccer tryouts were still two weeks away, he needed to keep in shape. Pulling out the goal, he set it up at one end of the yard. He grabbed the ball and began practicing.

* * *

Kaelie sighed with happiness as she got into her red convertible. It was off to the nail salon for her and Seelie, and things at school couldn't be going better. Everything had worked out perfectly at the party, and Kaelie smiled to herself at the memory. True, it _had_ been disgusting when Clary had thrown up on Kaelie, but Kaelie had plenty of other clothes she could wear. She'd thrown out the white tank top and skirt after the party. Anyway, Kaelie was now the queen of Alicante Academy, and she had reinstated order in her court. Now, all she had to do was get that hottie Jace to ask her out. It wouldn't be hard- she was queen, and he was king, so it was only right that they date. So far, though, Jace hadn't seemed too interested in Kaelie; he'd been deep in thought all day. It annoyed Kaelie. But, no matter; she was off to get a pedicure and manicure, and she would take lots of time to plot later that night. She _would_ have Jace Wayland, and she didn't care who she had to trample with her stiletto heels to get her way.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hey, guys! So sorry for my absence- I've been really busy. I had a cello recital, after school classes/rehearsals, blah blah blah. You probably don't really care. Anyway, I hope you likey!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters belong to Cassandra Clare.**

 **6:30 a.m., Tuesday, August 8**

Clary was already starting to hate that godforsaken alarm clock.

She wanted nothing more than to never leave her bed, but nooo. She had to go to school. Groaning, Clary dragged herself over to her closet and threw on a pair of black skinny jeans and a Fall Out Boy t-shirt. (Again, she was a huge fan.) The t-shirt had been a back-to-school present from Jocelyn. Clary pulled on her socks and padded sleepily down the hall and down the stairs. In the kitchen, she poured some coffee into a to-go coffee cup.

The remainder of the time before Clary had to go get Simon passed by in a blur. Clary quickly found herself bidding Jocelyn goodbye and pulling away from the house in her car. Simon's house was about a three minute drive from Clary's house. She pulled up in front of Simon's house at 7:40 on the dot. Simon was waiting outside the small brick house, and he yelled something into the open door of the house before running over to the passenger door of Clary's car.

"G'morning," said Simon breathlessly as he slammed the door shut.

"Likewise," said Clary, yawning.

She took another swig of her coffee before driving off towards school.

* * *

Helen was bummed. She liked Clary, and she also liked being able to get a ride from the redhead every morning before school. Now, Helen's younger brother, Mark, had to drive her to school. Their father was busy hauling four of the five other Blackthorn children to school. There was Julian, who was 12 (in 7th grade); Livvy and Ty (the twins), who were 10 (in 5th grade); and Dru, who was 8 (in 3rd grade). Tavvy, the youngest Blackthorn, was 3. He wasn't in preschool yet, though.

Anyways, Helen and Mark hopped into Mark's car. Mark was 16 and a sophomore in high school. Helen was rather ashamed of the fact that Mark had a car and she didn't, seeing as he was two years younger than her. Helen had simply never needed a car; she always got a ride with Clary or sometimes Kaelie. Since that party, though, everything had changed. The one thing that hadn't changed in Helen's already hectic life was Aline. Aline remained constant. She was the light at the end of the tunnel for Helen. In fact, Helen had had a crush on Aline for a while now. Helen had also known that she was a lesbian for a while, but she was pretty sure that Aline wasn't one. Helen sighed. Now that school was back in session, she was busy quite often. She took karate class two days a week and piano once a week. Also, she and Aline were contemplating taking aerial arts classes together. **(A/N: see the link at the bottom of the page for an example of aerial arts)** So, Helen was just planning to grin and bear it all.

* * *

 **7:55 a.m., Tuesday, August 8**

Clary pulled into the student parking lot at Alicante Academy. She and Simon both hopped out of the car, and Clary was in a great mood. Sure, they had to be at *ugh* school, but now Clary had a friend. She valued Simon's friendship more than she had valued Kaelie's- Simon was much nicer than Kaelie, and Clary had a lot more in common with Simon. Clary was smiling to herself when she stopped walking (Simon continued on, apparently unaware that Clary had stopped). A car had pulled up beside Clary's car, and it contained Helen and her brother Mark. Clary felt bad for Helen, who was now having to catch a ride from her younger brother. Clary's eyes met Helen's for a split second, but Helen looked away. Clary shifted uncomfortably, almost rooted to her spot. It was only when Simon realized that Clary wasn't following him and called her name that Clary was able to move again. She hurried to catch up with Simon, who gave her a questioning look but didn't ask why she'd stopped. They were now entering the building, and Clary's first class was across the building from Simon's. Simon gave her an awkward hug, and the two of them went their separate ways.

First period English was boring, as usual. They were reading _The Metamorphosis_ , which Clary had read in the 8th grade. She had found the novella boring then, and it was boring now. The teacher had an audiobook version playing on her computer, and the students were supposed to be following along with their books. Clary was not doing that, however. She was doodling on a piece of notebook paper and thinking about her new life. Suddenly, the door opened. Eyes drawn by the motion, Clary (along with her teacher and most of her classmates) glanced towards the door. It was Jace, the golden-haired boy from the party.

"Good morning. You must be Ms. Johnson," said Jace winningly to the teacher.

Ms. Johnson was not fazed. "And who are you?"

"I'm Jace Wayland. I was just switched into this class from Mr. Schumacher's class," replied Jace, who wasn't missing a beat.

"Alright, then," said Ms. Johnson rather skeptically. "Grab a book from this pile and turn to page 382. Follow along with the audiobook and take notes, because you'll be quizzed on the reading tomorrow. You can sit there, beside Miss Fray," she said, indicating the seat next to Clary.

Jace did so, and, as he came to drop his stuff at his seat, he smirked at Clary. Clary was instantly on her guard. Clary decided that, unless proven otherwise, this Jace guy was more trouble than he was worth.

 **A/N: Sorry, I know it's short. I wasn't exactly sure what to write. But never fear, stuff will happen soon enough! I have a 10 hour bus ride to look forward to this Thursday, so I'll try to write some then. No promises.**

 **-ShadowAngel51**


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